Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 4.djvu/51

The Merchant, diſpleas’d with the Violence that was offer’d him, reach’d out his Hand and took up a Bit, which he put to his Mouth trembling, and cat with a Reluctancy that ſurprized us all. But the greateſt Surprizal of all was, that he had only four Fingers, and no Thumb, which none of us obſerv’d before, tho’ he had eat of other Diſhes. You have loſt your Thumb, ſaid the Maſter of the Houſe, how came that about? It muſt have been occafioned by ſome extraordinary Accident: A Relation of which will be agreeable Entertainment to the Company. Sir, replied the Merchant, I have ne’er a Thumb, neither on the Right nor on the Left Hand. In ſpeaking this, he ſhewed us his Left Hand as well as his Right. But this is not all, continued he, I have ne’er a great Toe on either of my Feet, I hope you will take my Word for it. I was maim’d in this manner by an unheard of Accident, which I am willing to relate to you, if you’ll have the Patience to hear me. The Relation will equally aſtoniſh you, and affect you with Pity. Only ſuffer me to waſh my Hands firſt. With this he roſe from the Table, and after waſhing his Hands 120 times, took his Place again, and recounted the Story as follows.

You muſt know, Gentlemen, that in the Reign of the Calif Haroun Alraſchid, my Father lived at Bagdad, the Place of my Nativity, and was reputed one of the richeſt Merchants in the City. But, being a Man mightily addicted to his Pleaſures, a Man that loved an irregular Life, and neglected his private Affairs, inſtead of leaving me a plentiful Fortune at his Death, he left me in ſuch a Condition, that all the Occonomy I could maſter, was ſcarce ſufficient to clear his Debts. However, with much ado, I paid ’em all, and through my Induſtry and Care my little Fortune began to look with a ſmiling Countenance.

One Morning, as I opener my Shop, a Lady, mounted upon a Mule, and attended by an Eunuch and two Women Slaves, ſtopped near my Shop-Door, and with the Aſſiſtance of the Eunuch alighted, Madam, faid the Eunuch, I told you, you would be too ſoon; you ſee there’s no Body yet in the Bezeſtein; if you had taken my Advice, you might have ſaved your ſelf the Trouble of waiting here. The Lady looked all round her, and finding there was no Shop open but mine, addreſſed her ſelf to me,